Thursday, 28 November 2013

At this time of year, natural beaches frequented by gulls, become covered in deep snow, and are less accessible to various species of gull accustomed to loafing there. Parking lots in shopping plazas seem to have become substitutes for natural areas, and it is rare to visit the parking area of a large shopping plaza and not find gulls. No doubt the unrelieved flatness of the area is attractive and the fact that the asphalt retains heat probably also contributes to its appeal.

This lone American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus was the sole representative of its species, among the more numerous Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis.

Many friendly humans stop by to deliver food and no doubt this contributes to the desirability of parking lots also.

Today I discovered this charming little piece of woodland in an area developed principally for housing. It was a perfect winter's day, minus eight degrees C with little wind and fresh snow. I think I could have walked forever.

Numerous common birds were present, and I had a fleeting glimpse of what I think was a Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor, a rarity for the area. I will have to try to get back there as soon as I can to try again to see if I can locate this bird.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get photographs of the species I did see, mostly because they were deep in the trees, and the camera always wanted to focus on intervening branches. The following pictures do show, nevertheless, the delightful nature of this minute segment of nature allowed to remain in the midst of suburban sprawl.

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Imagine the conversation The Creator might have had
with St. Francis on the subject of lawns:

God: Hey
St. Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going
on down there in the Midwest? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle
and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect "no maintenance" garden
plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply
with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies,
honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colours
by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

St.
Francis: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They
started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to
kill them and replace them with grass.

God:
Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colourful. It doesn't attract butterflies,
birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures.
Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

St.
Francis: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it
green. The begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant
that crops up in the lawn.

God: The
spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must
make the Suburbanites happy.

St.
Francis: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it...
sometimes twice a week.

God: They
cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?

St.
Francis: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

God: They
bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

St. Francis:
No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

God: Now
let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so when it does grow, they cut
it off and pay to throw it away?

St.
Francis: Yes, Sir.

God:
These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain
and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of
work.

St.
Francis: You are not going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing
so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can
continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

God: What
nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of
genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide
beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form
a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and
bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a
natural circle of life.

St.
Francis: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle.
As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have
them hauled away.

God: No.
What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep
the soil moist and loose?

St.
Francis: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which
they call mulch. The haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

God: And
where do they get this mulch?

St.
Francis: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

God:
Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. Sister Catherine, you're in
charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

Sunday, 24 November 2013

Red-tailed Hawks Buteo jamaicensis

Near Elmira, ON

24 November 2013

This morning, while driving through Waterloo County near Elmira, on a cold sunny day, Miriam and I spotted these two Red-tailed Hawks perched together in a tree. It is quite unusual to see them in such close proximity at this time of the year. Once breeding has been completed and the young have fledged, the two members of a pair usually go their separate ways, and the larger females can often be quite aggressive towards the smaller males if they get too close before having established a pair bond.

These two manifest the variability in plumage of this chromatically dimorphic species. One flew away quickly (as they usually do, being very familiar with persecution by humans), but the second bird remarkably stayed at its perch for quite some time, enabling us to take a few pictures, albeit somewhat distant.

Corn (Maize) is a popular crop for farmers in this part of Ontario, both for cattle feed and for human consumption. After the harvest has been completed fields of stubble are often left until the following spring before being ploughed under. The result is a bounty of feeding opportunities for many species of birds, both large and small.

Thursday, 21 November 2013

This relatively small wetland and pond harbours gulls at all seasons of the year, but as low temperatures in late fall and winter become the norm, there is generally a substantial build up of gulls, and when ice forms they loaf on the surface by the hundred. From time to time rarities show up in the winter and this pond is always worthy of checking.

The pond is in the middle of a residential area and is surrounded by houses and schools. Shopping plazas are not far away, with all the attendant possibilities for food handouts from humans, and waste from restaurants. As can be seen from the pictures below the gulls use the roofs of the houses as convenient perches and I am sure the mess they create must cause great annoyance to the homeowners.

American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus

Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis

Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis

There are several Tamarack Larix laricina trees (sometimes referred to as American Larch) along the shore and the following images show the profusion of cones this year, providing a welcome source of winter nourishment for many birds.

Here are several views of the pond and some of the bird life present today.

Canada Geese Branta canadensis

Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis

This Red Osier Dogwood Cornus stolonifera was located in a marshy area. It is a very attractive shrub and its fiery red colour stands out against the general drabness of other vegetation at this time of the year.

Each winter many thousands of diving ducks of numerous species take up residence on Lake Ontario. This has always been the case, but since the presence of Zebra Mussels Dreissena polymorpha was first detected, numbers have increased exponentially, due to this plentiful, readily-available food source.

The following pictures depict a large raft of ducks just offshore at Colonel Samuel Smith Park in the west end of Toronto.

While the ducks are a little too distant to identify many of them, Redhead Aytha americana and Great Scaup Aytha marila can be clearly noted. The pictures are designed to present the spectacle of large rafts of ducks on Lake Ontario. Numbers will progressively increase as late fall gives way to winter.

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Every year, in late fall, the Grand River Conservation Area lowers the level of the water at the Laurel Creek Reservoir. Quite why this is done I am not sure, but no doubt there is some sound reason.

As the depth of water gets lower, more and more aquatic species are left stranded on the mud, especially crayfish and small fish of various species. This provides birds, especially American Crows Corvus brachrynchos and Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis with a bounty of easily available food, and they waste no time descending on the area to gorge at will. At times I have seen them so sated they simply play with the food rather than eating it.

Bald Eagles Haliaeetus leucocephalus are spotted from time to time at this location and I have little doubt that they take advantage of this bonanza also. I just never have happened upon them during this period.

As for mammals, I take it as a given that Racoons Procyon lotor will be found there as soon as they emerge from their day time roost. This species is a common omnivorous feeder during the crepuscular period and right through the night.